Artist News

Quantum Theory: An Interview With Soul Extract

By Leasia Korbel

Hey Josh, thanks for taking the time. I’ve been a fan since I first heard “Decryption,” (it remains an all time favorite of mine). I see in the notes you talk about “subconsciously” noticing someone from across the room, i.e. “Quantum Entanglement.” Quantum entanglement suggests that two particles can be connected across vast distances. Do you feel a similar connection with your audience when they view your art? How do you think your work influences or “entangles” with their perception of reality?

I absolutely would love for the ideas and imagery to connect with anyone who is truly “listening” and become entangled with the realization that we are all connected in a way that cant be seen, but most definitely can be felt.  There are many scientific experiments underway at the Institute of Noetic Sciences testing these types of experiences.  My hope is that science will progress into the field of consciousness and I guarantee humanity will be forever changed when that day comes.

Quantum physics isn’t a typical influence in music. How did you first get inspired by quantum theory, and how does it shape your sound?

As a kid, I always was interested in how things worked.  I took apart phones, clocks, and even my NES.  The cartridges never did go in the same after that!

This fascination led me to write my own music as well as a career in I.T.  Sadly, I didn’t really have an appreciation for quantum mechanics until later in life, but it has definitely created a new way of looking at the world and I draw very much inspiration from this new lens.

Quantum physics challenges traditional perceptions of time and space. How do you play with these ideas in your music?

One way I’ve found to look at time is the example of a human’s life.  I believe your lifetime is merely the “how” of what you are.  The various events and decisions you’ve made throughout your life. Your soul however is the eternal thing that has and always will exist.  This is the “what”.  An infinite state of being that we can’t comprehend and thus need a step-by-step playback to understand ourselves.

These types of concepts really help unfold the path to where the lyrics lead.  It is indeed difficult to write in this language and not sound cliche or cheesy, and believe me, my notebook is full of cheese ideas no one will ever see.

Your music often feels like it’s bending the rules of reality. How do you translate the abstract and complex ideas of quantum physics into your soundscapes?

Finding a parallel with the quantum nature of reality and our daily lives is usually a good method.  These are hard concepts to wrap your head around, and the science literature doesn’t do it justice, but once you “see” it the way I do, you will understand.

What’s your creative process like when you’re working on new music? Do you have any unusual rituals?

My life is so busy, I have to take inspiration wherever and whenever it lands.  Usually it’s at a time when I don’t have access to a keyboard or guitar, so I record the idea on my phone and hope I remember the emotional state of where my head was.

Strangely enough, this sometimes comes from day-to-day sounds from life that my brain transforms into musical compositions.  It’s such an odd thing, but I love when it happens. 

During a creative session, meditation is a tool I use to put my head in a clear space to allow ideas to flow, especially lyrics.

Do you ever find yourself lost in thought, pondering the nature of reality while working on a piece? If so, do you ever emerge with new artistic insights or just a headache?

Yes!  This is part of my creative process and it does lead to new ideas about how our universe operates at the quantum level.

I noticed you used violins, cellos, a lot in combination with rock. How important is the emotive element in your singles?

So I actually used to not like emotive songs all that much.  I’d usually skip over them, preferring the heavy, hard-hitting tracks instead.  But in my adult years, orchestral strings have captivated my soul with their ability to capture such deep, emotional states and that’s why I love to use them.  Hoping to one day work with real violinists on a song to give it that extra human element.

Looking ahead, are there any quantum concepts or theories that you’re excited to explore in your future music projects?

Absolutely, I plan to release at least another 8 songs focused on this.  My hope is to help others view this reality, as well as each other, through this lens.

Check out Soul Extract’s latest release “Entanglement” from his EP Chasms below!

Soul Extract, the visionary cinematic rock artist, invites listeners into a vast sonic landscape with the release of the Chasms EP, a journey through intricate emotions, human survival, and the untapped depths of the universe, out now from FiXT.

With singles “Anomaly” and “Supernova” produced by renowned songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paul Trust, and Brian Skeel’s collaboration on “Innerspace” the Chasms EP fuses orchestral rock, electronic elements, and raw lyrical intensity to explore themes of isolation, survival, and interconnectedness to the very desolate beauty of outer space. 

Opening with “Supernova” the EP delivers a cosmic anthem, telling the story of a human called by a supernova-born entity to leave a dying planet and create new worlds.  “Anomaly” emerges as a thought-provoking mix of heavy guitars, synths, and orchestral elements, telling the story of a lone survivor adrift in space. The single emerges as a mesmerizing blend of cerebral depth and raw beauty within the tumultuous currents of modern rock. “Innerspace” follows with a dramatic shift in perspective, diving into the microscopic world with fellow FiXT labelmate Brian Skeel. This cinematic track captures the awe-inspiring complexity of the quantum world, blending orchestral strings with chugging guitars, and Soul Extract’s dynamic vocals. “Entangled” narrated by the soul itself, delves into quantum mysticism, the song contemplates the idea of quantum entanglement as a metaphor for human connection. Science fiction and cinematic rock collide creating a rich, immersive experience that resonates across space and time.

Cerebral. Beautiful. Violent. Soul Extract taps into a wealth of human emotions and experiences to generate a listening space that is as intense and unpredictable as life itself. The highly personal inspiration for Soul Extract’s creations gives every song an invigorating level of creative clarity, and the artist’s willingness to smash through genre barriers puts him at the forefront of modern music.

Although Soul Extract’s stylistic approach fits within the broad scope of electronic rock, labels can’t begin to describe the exploratory, borderline progressive nature of the songs themselves. Josh Mullis, the architect behind Soul Extract’s elaborate compositions, brings a deconstructive mindset to his craft, tearing apart genres and fusing their most compelling elements back together to build calculated and highly detailed tracks.

This analytical approach to Soul Extract began to take shape in 2013, and after years spent synthesizing the sounds of metal, electronic, and orchestral music, the artist unleashed his fiery debut album, Circadian Algorithm. Loaded wall-to-wall with emotive vocals and explosive instrumental sections, the album has laid the foundation for a developing career with an upward trajectory.

Mullis’ passion for music began at a young age, and he has traditionally pulled from deeply personal events for his creative stimulus. Finding escape from family struggles by picking up a guitar as a teenager, Mullis discovered those early creative efforts were able to carry him through unpredictable times. As an adult, a motivating force for his music rests within humanitarian endeavors, as Mullis donates proceeds from Soul Extract to various charities.

For Mullis, music is an indescribable force capable of sparking intense emotion, and this force is the essence of an artist in its purest form. As the project name suggests, Soul Extract is Josh Mullis’ unaltered expression of himself, and his passionate approach to songwriting shines through on every track he produces.

Q&A – The Anix

By Leasia Korbel

Q: On your most recent release “Shadow.” You said initially, “The track exploits the phenomenon of “Shadow” personality traits- the side of us that rarely gets shown to the world.” Can you give fans an idea of the deeper concept behind “Shadow?”

A: Most of us, if not ALL of us, have a side to us that gets repressed. Maybe its because you feel your boss wont allow it, or your friends will mock you, or your parents wont accept you, or you are embarrassed to be yourself. The unfortunate part of all of this, is that this hidden side to us tends to be the most creative and interesting side. So really the world is being robbed of originality the more we suppress this and conform to social standards.

Q: Can you give us insight into the emotions or experiences you hope listeners will connect with “Shadow?” Do we all need to embrace the dark side?

A: This song, as well as my entire musical career IS my shadow side. Every lyric written, song produced, graphic design element, is the side I tend to suppress from the public. My goal with the song is for the listener to feel heard and seen.

Q: Your latest songs seem to incorporate deep exploration into the human psyche and psychology. Is there a reason behind that?

A: The older I become, the more I become aware of how much life is simply a game. No one knows what they are doing, we are all pretending and acting, and in the end no one makes it out alive. Just do what makes you feel alive now because that chance wont be here for long.

Q: Can you give us a time frame for your next album? Do you have any surprises in store?

A: VOLTAGE should be out in full by the start of Fall this year. It is not entirely finished yet, so maybe there will be some unexpected surprises to close it out.

Q: On a scale from “Shy Shower Singer” to “Rock God on a Dragon,” how pumped are you for this album’s release?

A: Haha, well I am extremely shy and introverted, so I’d go with the shy shower singer for this one.

Q: If your new album was a metaphor for a concept or idea, what would it symbolize, and why? 
(e.g., “Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the album represents resilience and rebirth.” Or do we need to “Embrace the dark side of the Force”)

A: The album title is VOLTAGE, which represents speed and power in the case of the inspiration behind the album. Faster songs, more sonics, bigger, more electronics, bigger guitars, higher vocals.

Q: In the past, and in several interviews you’ve stated you enjoyed movies like Tron and Bladerunner. (Which honestly is a great fit here at FiXT) Would you say your more recent work continues to embrace that?

A: When those movies came out, the genre was not over saturated. Now you can find 100’s of movies and series on streaming platforms that all look the same, too much CGI, over the top with the Sci-Fi etc, so I just became immune and bored with it. My overarching inspiration, even beyond Bladerunner is Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The colors, costumes, mood, set design is beyond anything I have ever seen.

Q: Favorite Summer Plans?

A: I hate Summer – can’t wear my favorite clothes.

Q: Pineapple on pizza? Yes or no?

A: Yes with jalapenos!

Q: In a previous interview you said you were “always on the verge of going entirely electronic.” Is that still happening?

A: It is literally always on my mind. I think the next album will very likely be this way.

Q: In the past you’ve stated you prefer working alone, but on a few of your recent singles you’ve worked with Julien-K, most recently “CRAWL” and you have your other project INTRELOCK. What’s different here?

A: I usually like to work alone because I work fast and intense. I do not like the process of making a song, then stopping to send it to someone else, and waiting for their input. It halts and disrupts the creative process for me. Amir from Julien-K understands this when working with me so he is able to get something back to me usually in the same day! That is not his usual style, but for me he bends his own rules and always delivers incredible parts that I would not have, and could not have created on my own. I am interested in more collabs, but it has to be with something that is doing something I can’t do on my own.

Q: I’ve read from previous interviews that music is only a small part of The Anix. What inspires The Anix as a whole concept from music to aesthetics?

A: I have always been very inspired by lifestyle related elements more than music. Architecture, style, sneakers, art and design. There is a huge amount of inspiration from 1960’s American design, such as Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard’s pattern making for Herman Miller, Fender’s Jaguar and Jazzmasters of the 60’s, NASA. In the end, its all art, and art inspires art regardless of what genre you create in.

Q: I am now contractually obligated to ask in every interview: Which would you rather fight: one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses? And why?

A: I think I would take the horse-sized duck, in the hopes that its size slows it down from an agility stand point, allowing me to be quicker to make my move.

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Q&A – The Plague

By Leasia Korbel

Q: Your latest single “Living In The Past” dives into themes of grief and introspection. Was there anything specifically that inspired it that you could talk about? How did the track come together?

A: The past 5 years have been without a doubt the hardest years I’ve experienced.  In my personal life there has been a lot of death, overdoses, surgery, divorces, relational abandonment, and health problems while there has also been problems in the world and covid. And on top of all that, a profound loneliness, disappointment, frustration and grief more intense than I ever thought possible, only made worse by how I handled it.  Thank God for the consequences because without them, I might not have grown.

For me, part of trauma is that I replay mistakes regularly.  This song is about the power of grief mixed with regret and what it feels like to be stuck.   It’s my attempt to process all that while begging God for a second try.

Q: Almost every aspect of the industry is evolving, from how we share music to how it’s created. How do you maintain your artistic integrity and authenticity in an industry that is constantly changing?

A: This kind of piggy backs the question about advice I would give new artists. I haven’t maintained my integrity.   I have compromised my integrity at times in my life and the consequences have been traumatizing.  I have needed to make mistakes at times to realize who I am and what I’m doing. It’s so important to know why you are doing something and if it is for selfish reasons.  

On a different note, right now A.I. is making a huge splash and it can be a useful tool or compromise your integrity.  I’ve had many conversations about it and for me at this point the line is do i know what i’m trying to go for or do i want the ai to tell me what the “right” thing is.

Q: Let’s talk about the upcoming album for a minute. You’ve got an album release coming up later this year?  Can you talk about any overarching themes and inspirations behind it?

A: This album is a person getting their footing in life again.  From new responsibilities and expectations, post covid life, and after a ton of loss and mistakes.  This album is a mid recalibration expression of sorting life out.  A bit messy and a bit all over the place but sincere and honest.

Q: What do you hope fans will take away from the album?

A: That they aren’t alone and that we are loved more than any of us could ever know.

Q: How has your sound evolved in this upcoming album compared to your earlier release Hope For The F.U.T.U.R.E.?

A: Hope for the F.U.T.U.R.E. was a record of clarity, i knew what i wanted to say and how i did things and how i wanted the music to sound.  This record is a record of transition and exploration.  

My influences have expanded and my tools have changed.  I am surrounded by new types of support with the Fixt label.  My family and friends have changed.  Basically it’s a whole new life.  All of that has deepened my relationship with God.

We have done this record as singles broken up by 9 surgeries so far.  Lyrically the record is about a person processing many stages and aspects of life while trying to keep moving forward.

Sonically, I am trying to remove some process crutches that I’ve been able to identify and that has been super challenging to say the least.  I have crossed some of the dunning kruger thresholds and I am growing everyday!

Q: Are there any collaborations on this album? If so, how did these artists influence the album’s direction?

A: Earl Cohen worked with me on 2.5 of the songs on the records.  I have my studio in my house and I was lucky enough to have him come live with me for 6 months while I recovered from surgery and keep the ball crawling.  

Earl has been an intimate musical mentor in my life.  We have had many ups and downs over a 20 year friendship.

He has influenced my process almost my whole recording life.  But for these songs, he is a part of why “predator” turned out the way it did.  My original version was very metal, and I had programmed a vibey break chorus that we felt  was so cool that we changed the verses to the vibey version and looked at each other and said “this might be more the essence of what we are going for.”

I try to be a flexible person because I don’t think that stubbornness is constructive or collaborative.  I also don’t want to be a perfectionist because I believe it to be counter productive.  I like trying a lot of stuff and exploring.

That being said, around my own music, I’ll try stuff and suggestions but I can be very hard to influence.  I often know what I want and have something I’m trying to get out and I am relentless in that pursuit.  I am still trying to express that vision, I still have a long way to go still.  Earl was definitely in a tough place with me in this area and he did a great job.

Q: What advice would you give to young artists just starting out in the music industry? 

A: I think about this question often because I would go back and give myself advice if I could.  Make sure you know what your motivations are and be very honest with yourself.  God put everyone here for a reason.  Being yourself is a service and contribution to the world, I wouldn’t recommend doing art for selfish reasons such as money or status.  And then also discipline is crucial, slow and steady.

Q: Can you share your process for songwriting? How do you start, and what inspires your lyrics and melodies? 

A: How long do you have? lol  I usually start by jamming with an acoustic guitar or piano and singing over it until I have a chorus melody that I feel is useful.  Then I will make a rough demo with that melody where I make the whole song very quickly with copy and pastes just to hear an entire arrangement. By this point I have decided what the song is about and have chorus lyrics.  I need this to move forward and it is often dictated by feeling what the song is doing emotionally and asking myself what I’m going through that relates to that feeling or could be the reason why I’m interested in the emotional energy that way. Often, I try to relate that to others in a way that I think could be empathetic, sympathetic, or challenging and detail the lyrics and parts from that place.

Q: On a scale from 1 to ‘Spinal Tap’, how would you rate your last live performance?

A: None more black.

Q: What’s the most awkward stage moment you’ve ever had? Did it involve a wardrobe malfunction, a forgotten lyric, or perhaps a rogue insect?

A: One time I threw up on stage because we all ate right before the show and were rocking too hard lol.  A girl that was there was very happy that some got on her and tried to use it as a platform for an intimate relationship if you know what I mean.  She misread the significance of me puking on her.

Q: And finally, I’m contractually obligated to ask everyone this question in every interview now: Which would you rather fight: one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses? And how would you distract them with your music if they turned on you? 

A: I would deal with whichever was thrown my way I guess, take life as it comes.  For decades, I have had a recurring nightmare where 100s of cats attack me in a haunted mansion.  I’m not sure whether that sets me up for ptsd with the duck sized horses, or whether it means i’ve been subconsciously training my whole life in my sleep to fight them.  Only one way to find out!

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